The WIRELESS HOME DIGITAL INTERFACE (WHDI) is a wireless standard proposed for a wireless multimedia device network, which can be used at home, in the office or in other short-range wireless network environments. WHDI allows for high bandwidth wireless channels for sending content between devices, which can support uncompressed High Definition (HD) content. For example, a DVD player can be connected to multiple HDTVs wirelessly and send uncompressed content to the HDTVs using WHDI. WHDI eliminates the need for cabling, such as High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cables, component cables, etc., used to transmit uncompressed content between devices. Conventional wireless technologies such as 802.11, BLUETOOTH, etc., do not have the bandwidth or interface to transmit uncompressed multimedia content between devices.
WHDI devices are characterized as two types. One type is a source device and the other type is a sink device. A WHDI device may be a source device, a sink device, or both depending on its functionality. A source device transmits data streams across a WHDI network to a sink device, and a sink device receives data streams across the WHDI network from the source device. Examples of source devices are set-top box, Personal Computer (PC), notebook PC desktop PC, DVD player, MP3 player, video camcorder, audio/video receiver, gaming console, etc. Examples of sink device are TVs, PCs, projectors, etc.
Currently, WHDI specifies three registration modes (Device-only Mode, Source-Domain Mode, and Sink-Domain Mode). Typically, the sink device has a user interface for the user to manage the registration, such as to select which source device is to be registered with the sink device, and as such, the three registration modes are designed to always initiate from the sink device. However, in cases where the sink device is a projector mounted on the ceiling or a wall of a room, for instance, the sink device may not be readily accessible. In other environments, such as in conference rooms, remote controls for the sink devices may not be available. In addition, security and use by multiple different devices at different times may be of greater concern in the conference room environment than in the home. The current WHDI registration protocol may thus be inadequate to meet all of the requirements for registration in relatively public places, such as, conference rooms.